thought i'd start a thread for any ladies on bed rest or who have been thru a bed rest pregnancy.
i am 17wks and have been on bed rest for a little over a week due to a shortened cervix. i am also on progesterone suppositories and meeting with a high-risk specialist in 2 days.
this is my first pregnancy after a year going thru IF and this past week has been so hard. finding it so challenging and lonely. any suggestions for making bed rest somewhat pleasant?
eggplant / 11408 posts
Sending you hugs, lady 
I'm so sorry that you're having a rough time. I hope that you can get some help here!
pomegranate / 3863 posts
I was on bed rest from 23 weeks until I delivered at 34 weeks! It sucks, there's no way getting around it. I didn't really have any hobbies other than professional TV watching and I suffered because of it.
My advice is to get involved in something that occupies your mind! Blogging, sewing, knitting, etc. Also, if you have anyone who can come visit you during the day that will help with the isolation!
Are you on strict bed rest? Modified? Are you allowed to sit up or get up and make meals? Hugs!!
GOLD / squash / 13576 posts
@littleredhairedgrl: I'm so sorry. Are you on bed rest at home? Or hospital?
pomelo / 5628 posts
How scary! I was on hospital bed rest starting at 23 weeks and it was very difficult. I dealt with a lot of "woe is me" with not being able to enjoy my pregnancy after almost 2 years of IF. The best thing for me was to find others in the exact same situation at the same time. I blogged and connected with another blogger who was also on bed rest. There are bed rest threads on a few other forums...I can't remember which ones I liked the best. There's also an IF blogger newsletter called Lost and Found Connections Abound that always lists who is on bed rest at the time. Maybe check it out?
PM me if you'd like to talk more! Just take it week by week. Get a calendar to mark off the days. And find a good book or TV series. I was in the middle of reading Games of Thrones at the time and it was helpful.
persimmon / 1135 posts
@petunia354: if you don't mind me asking, what was the reason you were put on bed rest? i am on modified and try to just limit the amount of time that i am up.. never thought i'd miss my job, but it's rough trying to occupy my mind and not spend the day worrying. the first few days all i did was watch tv, but daytime television is HORRIBLE!! i am going to try blogging and used to knit, maybe i'll start it up again.
GOLD / squash / 13576 posts
@littleredhairedgrl: I'd try and find a series you like. My friend was on bed rest most of her pregnancy due to a shortened cervix and she would watch series. Have you gotten cerclevage (sp?) that helped her a little. Hang in there!
persimmon / 1135 posts
@Mrs Green Grass: thanks for the suggestions! i've read that the first few weeks are the hardest and just hoping it gets a little easier. but i totally hear you about wishing i could be enjoying the pregnancy after the struggle to get here for so long.. so hard not to feel bad for myself and turn away friends and family.
persimmon / 1135 posts
@littlek: my ob was planning on doing the cerclage tomorrow, but she spoke with 2 high-risk obs at the hospital who thought that since my cervix hasn't gotten any shorter with the progesterone that i shouldn't do it. dh and i still think it's a good route to take, but we are waiting to meet with one of the high-risk doctors for a consult on friday and will see what he says. the frustrating thing is that most drs seem to only do cerclages after someone has a loss.. but to me that's not really acceptable -- i am not ok with waiting for something bad to happen to then be able to do something preventative. urgh.
pomegranate / 3863 posts
I was hospitalized at 23 weeks because my doctors thought I was developing preeclampsia. When they determined that my body was building up towards that but there wasn't a risk to the baby yet they sent me home on modified bed rest. I could sit up for 30 min a day and get up to use the bathroom but that was it.
If you need any support or advice or someone to commiserate with, let me know!
ETA: the unknown is the hardest part, especially in your situation. Try to keep your mind occupied with something, even if its just diving into a TV series or movies!
pomelo / 5628 posts
@littleredhairedgrl: I got a little overwhelmed by visitors. I think it's good to have them...maybe one per day, but schedule out your time to do other stuff. Blogging was REALLY helpful for me. There is a huge IF blogging community and I don't know what I would've done without it. For me the first few days were the hardest. I wish I had months, but I ended up delivering at 25 weeks (due to PTL - bleeding and contractions - so very different than your issues. You can read my blog during that time if you want Sept 2012...
pomelo / 5628 posts
@littleredhairedgrl: You should do another post just to ask about cerclage experience! Hopefully the high risk docs will have good advice.
coconut / 8279 posts
@littleredhairedgrl: :::hugs::: bed rest sucks! I was only on at the very end when I developed preeclampsia but it was really lonely and all the "where's the baby?" calls and texts didn't help. I was like, 'what about me? I'm sick and lonely and just want friends to talk to' lol. Sounds pathetic maybe but it was true for me. No one wanted to visit me until the baby was born. Ugh.
I did a ton of Netflix.
And actually, I joined Hellobee while on bedrest! haha
Tons of online shopping.
Made address lists and templates for baby announcements and thank you cards.
kiwi / 656 posts
@Mrs Green Grass: did your baby survive being born at 25 weeks?
Wow I'm so sorry for anyone who is currently or has ever been on bed rest, but I would echo those saying get good books and a series that you enjoy. Feel better.
GOLD / coconut / 8266 posts
@littleredhairedgrl: I hope everything goes well on Friday. Hugs!
pear / 1849 posts
I was on bed rest from 28-36 weeks for pre-term contractions - basically a very irritable uterus. It's definitely not easy, but I promise the end result is worth it! I'm not sure what you do, but is there any way you could work from home? I was able to keep up with a modified work load (I'm in consulting) from the couch. It was hard at times, but definitely helped to keep me sane. Also, it's been said already, but lots of books and try a new TV series - Homeland, Revenge, Scandal, Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, etc.
coconut / 8472 posts
I was on bed rest for the last 2 weeks of my pregnancy. There was 24 hours where I was told to do nothing else except lay in bed (literally to lay down) and only get up to use the bathroom. Most of the time I just had to relax though. I got through it with lots of books on my kindle, hellobee, and netflix/hulu.
ETA: now that the baby's here, I'd give anything to have a day where I had to spend the entire thing in bed!
nectarine / 2152 posts
Sorry to hear this, so scary especially after dealing with IF before conceiving. I think series are a good idea, plus crafts...good luck, fingers crossed for you!
persimmon / 1135 posts
@SeptMomma12: I'm an assistant so unfortunately i'm really limited to what i can do from home.. but definitely need to get netflix or something bc daytime tv is just so bad! i tried to start a new book, but still very emotional and just can't get into one thing in particular for too long.
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts
So sorry! I had one week of bed rest for each pregnancy and I just watched a lot of TV and did a little bit of sewing.
Good luck to you!
nectarine / 2134 posts
Hugs mama Are there any crafts you can do while on bedrest? I've been meaning to work on a pregnancy scrapbook but of course just have notes on my iPhone right now. Or cross-stitch or anything quick like that? Maybe some fun/quick reads? And definitely some TV series. Thinking about you and your precious little girl!
grapefruit / 4311 posts
I hope your bedrest flies by, helps things and doesn't have to be extended. I have been on pelvic rest the majority of my pregnancy and during the worst of my issues pretty much put myself on self-imposed bed rest. I've been making reading goals since I can't do anything active, catching up on tv shows, hellobee'ing, and researching registry items. (eta: after reading other thread on sensitivity, being positive and visualizing a good outcome has been the only thing keeping me from falling apart thinking of worst case scenarios -sorry!)
thinking of you! it's a good sign that things stayed the same!
pomelo / 5607 posts
Here's something that might be interesting. You can take online classes for free. Not for any certification, but I'm thinking about doing some just to learn something new. Might be worth considering to keep you distracted? http://www.iflscience.com/technology/take-college-and-university-courses-online-completely-free
honeydew / 7916 posts
I haven't been there so don't have any advice but I know you've been through a lot. Medically complicated pregnancies are so tough. I'll be thinking of you!
honeydew / 7463 posts
Gosh, I don't have any experience but I'm sending you love and good vibes!
honeydew / 7687 posts
so sorry 
do you have any photos that you need to organize or scrapbook, virtually ot otherwise?
kiwi / 643 posts
Hugs! I was on hospital bed rest from 32 weeks until I delivered at 36 weeks. It was awful! I felt like total crap, so it was hard to get motivated to do much besides watch tv and play on the internet.
I still think about that time, and what I'd change if I had to do it over again! I would have...
- made and written all my thank you notes
- gotten my address list together and pre-addressed birth announcements
- paid for someone to come and do my toenails and give me a haircut, (or at least a wash and blowout)...the hospital had someone who would do this, and at the time, I felt like it was a waste of money...it was worth it, though!
- started filling out baby books and write letters to the babies
It's soooo hard, but the one thing that resonated with me was when a nurse explained that this was the first and most important sacrifice I was making for my babies 
You'll get through it! Hugs, Mama!
pomelo / 5073 posts
@littleredhairedgrl: my cousin was on bed rest from 18 or 20 weeks until she had a c-section at 35 weeks. She had problems with her cervix and they had to keep her in the hospital because her pregnancy was threatened. Her baby is almost 2 years old. She passed the time by watching new shows and Netflix. She also read a lot. Her husband would come up at night and eat dinner with her and then go home and sleep. Hang in there!!!!
pineapple / 12234 posts
So sorry about the complications - still thinking of you and hoping for a healthy baby.
I went on bedrest by 34 weeks...it was hard, I really wanted to get out every day. I really got into the show Parenthood on Netflix, online shopping and DH would set up a snack/water station near our bed every day before he went to work.
pomelo / 5789 posts
@littleredhairedgrl: I have no bed rest advice but just wanted to say hang in there. HB is a great community and outlet for tough days.
My mom was on bedrest and had a cerclage with me, and that was over 30 years ago. I hope you get some good answers from the specialist and I will be thinking of you.
GOLD / squash / 13576 posts
@littleredhairedgrl: how are you doing? Sending you positive thoughts!!!
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